Uttarakhand Nurse Raped, Murdered On Way Home From Hospital; Body Found In UP, 1 Arrested

On August 14, police arrested a man for allegedly raping and murdering a nurse as she returned from work. Her body was discovered in an empty plot in Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh.

People take part in the 'Nagarik Michil' rally against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a female postgraduate trainee doctor of RG Kar Medical College. (PC: ANI)

Uttarakhand Police arrested a man on August 14 for allegedly raping and killing a nurse while she was returning from hospital. The heinous incident took place three weeks ago in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district, reported The Indian Express. The victim worked at a private hospital in Nainital. 

The police recovered her body from an empty plot in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district. According to Express’ report, the incident happened on July 30. Police reports state that the accused dragged the nurse into nearby bushes, where he allegedly raped and strangled her to death. Following the assault, he stole her jewelry and fled the scene. Authorities tracked the victim's phone to Rajasthan, where they apprehended the suspect. 

The accused named Dharmendra Kumar is a daily wage labourer from Bareilly. Kumar allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered the nurse as she was returning home from the hospital. 

On July 31, the victim's sister filed a missing person report with the local police after she did not come home the previous night. The nurse's body was found by the police on August 8. 

This incident came to light amid the healthcare communities' widespread protests following the rape and murder of a junior doctor (31-year-old) on the premises of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Opposition leaders and doctors' associations accused the Kolkata Police of a ‘cover-up,’ claiming that the victim's parents were initially misled into believing their daughter had committed suicide.